AGING IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The female filmmakers behind some of the year’s biggest movies are changing the way we see—and talk about—women over the age of 40.

SADIE BELL

For decades, there’s been an unfortunate but common belief in Hollywood (and beyond) that women over 40 are invisible. Actresses are then relegated to playing somebody’s nondescript wife. Or mother. Or in some mind-boggling cases, somebody’s grandmother. While this has improved in recent years (though statistics regarding on-screen representation remain dismal), now more than ever, women in Hollywood are taking matters into their own hands and shaping the conversation around aging with their own art. And it’s paying off. Several films that show women wrestling with their age have garnered acclaim this awards season: the Demi Moore-led feminist horror film The Substance; the Gia Coppola-directed indie The Last Showgirl, which marks Pamela Anderson’s first lead role in years; the Amy Adams-led adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s novel Nightbitch; and, in some…

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Marie Claire (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 8 2025

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